Periodical display rack



June 4, 1946. J BLOOM 2,401,409

PERIODICAL DISPLAY BACK Filed Dec. 7, 1944 SD Y INVENTOR.

#3 Jack B10022:

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ATTORNEY Patented June 4, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT; or-Flee Jack Bloom,Brooklyn, N. Y.. Application December 7, 1944, Serial'No. 567,001

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved display I with a normally openfront side, having an unobstructed upper portion to allow unrestrainedselection and withdrawal, and which is further provided with a slopingbase, which is engaged by a sliding follower, so that the magazines orother publication are displayed at an incline, and the upper edges ofthe magazines or publications are disposed in angular positions, so thatthe customer may easily pick any magazine or publication of the groupdisplayed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a display rack or fixtureof this general type, with a follower having a multiple tooth engagementwith parallel toothed racks on the side walls of the enclosing case, andhaving spring pin coupling with a slot formed in the base of the displayrack or fixture.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists incertain new and useful constructions, combinations and arrangements ofparts, clearly described in the following specification, and fullyillustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- I I Fig. 1 is avertical sectional view through the improved display fixture.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section, takenon the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view, taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1,looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of the teeth of the follower and a portionof the toothed rack of the case.

Fig. 6 is a detail bottom plan view of the teeth of the follower.

Referring to the accompanying drawing which illustrates the practicalembodiment of the invention, 5 designates a holding or enclosing case,which is provided with parallel side walls 6 and l, a closed rear endwall 8, and a bottom 9, which is formed with a longitudinal slot ID. Theforward part or end of the case is constructed with an ornamentalU-shaped display front II, which 2 is normally open at the upper endthereof, but closed by'the horizontalbar i la at the bottom of thefront. j v i The bottom 9 is inclined upwardly from the front-toward therear wall 8, and the slot l0 ex-v tends nearly the full length of thebottom wall. The upperlongitudinal edge of each side wall is formed witha toothed rack 12, which is shown to extend the full length of the sidewall, and the upright sides Ilb andllc' of the front ll, pro ject'abovethe horizontal planes of the toothed racks, and thus neatly'conceal thesame from direct frontal View.

The enclosing case or cabinet 5 is'preferably constructed in one piecefrom plastic material, so that'all walls are integral with each other,and the case can be given a highly attractive finish, in any desireddecorative scheme or plan.

"I'he magazines or other publications are disposed on the inclinedbottom 9 and are held in position against the open front II, by means ofthe follower I3, which is constructed of plastic, byone piece molding orcasting. This follower includes the inclinable front plate or wall l3a,which is solid or irnperforate, the base flange I3b, the top flange 13c,which carries the integral handle I311, the side flanges I3e and I3),and the intermediate reinforcing webs l3g.

The top flange extends outwardly of the side flanges and is formed witha plurality of teeth 14, on each end, which are adapted tosimultaneously engage the teeth of both racks of the side walls '6 andl.

The front of the enclosing case or cabinet is inclined from the bottomupwardly and rearwardly and the wall I3a of the follower is normallyheld in an inclined position, when the teeth M of the follower are fullyengaged with the toothed racks of the side walls.

The teeth Id of the follower are held in engagement with the toothedracks l2 of the side walls by means of the spring l5, which encloses thecoupling pin [6, the lower end of which slides through the slot HI, andis equipped with a large flat head Ilia to engage the bottom face of thebottom wall, so that the pin will always slide smoothly in the slot.

The upper end of the shank of the pin extends through the base flange13b of the follower, and the spring 15 engages the upper face of thisflange and is held on the pin, in its normal pressure relation with theflange 1312, by means of the adjustable nut l6, which is threaded on thepin I6. By adjusting this nut the pressure of the spring on the followermay be Varied. I

In order to equalize the pressure of the spring upon the follower and toprevent the follower from rocking between the two side walls 6 and l, ascrew threaded pin I1 is arranged on the base flange 13b of thefollower, on one side of the central pin I6, and another screw threadedpin I8 is arranged on the base flange of the follower on the other sideof the central pin I6. The pins l1 and I8 are spacedequal distances fromthe central pin. A'coil spring Ila is arranged on the pin I! and exertspressure upwardly against the base flange against the base wall orbottom 9, and the two springs Ila and lBa tend to keep the base flangeof the follower in parallel relation with "the bottom 9. The lower endof each spring bears directly against a head on its engagedpin, and thepin head rides directly on the upper face of the bottom 9,

The magazines are arranged so that they rest against the front inclinedwall'of the follower, and due to the fact that the bottom wall 9 isinclined from the front upwardly to the rear andthat all copies of thesame magazine are of one height, the upper edges of the magazines willbe slightly offset upwardly from each other in different angularpositions.

The front page of the most forwardly ofthe I3b of the follower, anddownwardlymagazines will be readable through the open space bounded bythe sides and base of the U-shaped front frame of the enclosing case orcabinet.v The upper portion of the front page of the forward magazinewill be completely exposed to view, and the customer may readily readthe name of the magazine, which is uniformly printed on the top of thefront cover page.

Due to the fact that the uppermost portion of the front magazine orpublication is completely exposed to view, the customer may easily pickv up this magazine by grasping the upper edge thereof, or pick any ofthe other magazines, by grasping its edge, which will be presented at ahigher elevation, because of the rising slope of the bottom 9, whichsupports the entire group of zines, consisting of a case having aninclined bottom and upstanding side walls, a U-shaped display frameforming the front of said case and provided a normally open upper endfor the front of the case, the inclined bottom having a longitudinalslot, the side walls having longitudinal toothed racks on their upperedges, a rearwardly inclined follower arranged to move in the casebetween the side walls, said follower having an inclined base flange, apin extending through the base flange midway of its sides and slidablyengaging the slot of the bottom, said pin having a head on its lower endto prevent the displacement of the pin from said slot, a coil spring onthe upper end of the pin arranged to press the base flange downardly tohold the follower from rising in said case, the follower having lateralside portions provided with teeth to engage the toothed racks, a pinextending through the base flange of the follower on each side of thefirst pin and having a head to engage the inclined bottom, and a coilspring arranged on the pin and adapted to press downwardly against theinclined bottom and upwardly against the base flange, whereby the baseflange will be held in parallel sliding relation to the inclined bottom.

2. A dispensing anddisplay case for merchandise, consisting of a casehaving an inclined bottom and upstanding side walls, a U-shaped dis--play frame forming the front of said case and provided a normally openupper end for the front of the case, the inclined bottom having alongitudinal slot, the side walls having longitudinal toothed racks ontheir upper edges, a rearwardly inclined follower arranged to move inthe case between the side walls, said follower having an inclined baseflange, a pin extending through the base flange midway of its sides andslidably engaging the slot of the bottom, said pin having a head on itslower end to prevent the displacement of the pin from said slot, a coilspring on the upper end of the pin arranged to press the base flangedownwardly to hold the follower from rising in said case, the followerhaving lateral side portions provided with teeth to engage the toothedracks, a pin extending through the base flange of the follower on eachside of the first pin and having a head to engage the inclined bottom,and a coil spring arranged on the pin and adapted to press downwardlyagainst the inclined bottom and upwardly against the base flange,whereby the base flange will be held in parallel sliding relation to theinclined bottom.

JACK BLOOM.

